1-1                                     1
 1-2                          SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 56
 1-3           WHEREAS, The Texas Transportation Institute is celebrating
 1-4     its 50th anniversary, and the Texas Senate is pleased to recognize
 1-5     it; and
 1-6           WHEREAS, An official research agency for the Texas
 1-7     Department of Transportation and the Texas Railroad Commission,
 1-8     the Texas Transportation Institute works together with many
 1-9     federal and state agencies, in addition to the private sector,
1-10     to improve the safety and efficiency of the transportation system
1-11     in Texas; and
1-12           WHEREAS, The largest university-affiliated transportation
1-13     research agency in the United States, the Texas Transportation
1-14     Institute was created to meet the needs of the Texas Highway
1-15     Department; and
1-16           WHEREAS, The association between the Texas Highway
1-17     Department and the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas
1-18     was named the Cooperative Research Program, the forerunner of the
1-19     Texas Transportation Institute, and it began soon after the Texas
1-20     Highway Department was created in 1917; and
1-21           WHEREAS, The Cooperative Research Program was officially
1-22     signed into existence in 1948 by legendary State Highway Engineer
1-23     Dewitt C. Greer and former State Highway Engineer Gibb Gilchrist,
1-24     who had become the Chancellor of the A&M System; and
 2-1           WHEREAS, As a result of the research and testing by the
 2-2     Texas Transportation Institute, millions of dollars and thousands
 2-3     of lives have been saved in Texas; and
 2-4           WHEREAS, The Texas Highway Department, now the Texas
 2-5     Department of Transportation, has benefitted greatly from the
 2-6     work of the Texas Transportation Institute; today the institute
 2-7     looks at all forms of transportation in the field; and
 2-8           WHEREAS, Sustainable and efficient transportation is the
 2-9     paramount need for transit in the 21st century; together, the
2-10     Texas Department of Transportation and the Texas Transportation
2-11     Institute have made an unbeatable combination, and the celebration
2-12     of their 50 years of teamwork is certainly worthy of legislative
2-13     recognition; now, therefore, be it
2-14           RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas,
2-15     76th Legislature, hereby congratulate the Texas Transportation
2-16     Institute on its 50th anniversary; and, be it further
2-17           RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared as
2-18     an expression of the high regard and esteem of the Texas Senate.
2-19                                                    Ogden
2-20           Armbrister           Gallegos            Nixon
2-21           Barrientos           Harris              Ratliff
2-22           Bernsen              Haywood             Shapiro
2-23           Bivins               Jackson             Shapleigh
2-24           Brown                Lindsay             Sibley
2-25           Cain                 Lucio               Truan
2-26           Carona               Luna                Wentworth
2-27           Duncan               Madla               West
2-28           Ellis                Moncrief            Whitmire
2-29           Fraser               Nelson              Zaffirini
2-30                       Perry, President of the Senate
2-31                                  ______________________________________
2-32                                          President of the Senate
2-33                                       I hereby certify that the above
2-34                                  Resolution was adopted by the Senate
 3-1                                  on February 3, 1999.
 3-2                                  ______________________________________
 3-3                                          Secretary of the Senate
 3-4                                  ______________________________________
 3-5                                           Member, Texas Senate